The Monastery of the Angels is a place of spiritual peace and beauty, an architectural gem of the region and a home for a Dominican nuns community and people of all faiths. Its history began back in 1924 owing to a nun from New Jersey. Nowadays, the monastery is associated with virtues such as kindness and spiritual serenity amid busy life and indifference. Learn more at Losangeleska.
The foundation of the monastery
The monastery was founded by a nun from New Jersey. The Dominicans initially moved into an elegant house at 728 West 28th Street near Exposition Park, which was the former residence of the mountain geologist Horace Winchell. For a decade, the 12-room residence was home to the Monastery of the Angels. A Chapel of the Perpetual Adoration, which became a place where believers could come to pray together with the nuns, was also created there.
However, it was still a converted house located on an ordinary residential street. Thus, that situation caused some difficulties and inconveniences.
In 1934, the wealthy citizens helped the Dominican nuns to move into another residence on Carmen Avenue in Hollywood, which was the former mansion of Nevada copper king Joseph Louis Giroux. The house was designed back in 1912 by Frederick Roehrig and Arthur E. Simpson designed the landscaped gardens. The residence looked impressive because of the huge lawns, terraces and fountains. Visitors could find rare plant species on the territory and palm trees lined along the long driveways.
A closed religious community dwelling in Hollywood: how come?
When Prioress Mother Mary Gabriel was searching for a location for a monastery, she would agree with anything but Hollywood, as it was associated with cinema and sin. Nevertheless, Hollywood was chosen because, in those years, the very location was remote from the main boulevards and famous for its orchards and magnificent mansions. Thus, the Giroux mansion became an ideal place for the Dominican monastery.
Wealthy patrons
The monastery began to receive financial support from the wealthy and famous stars of Los Angeles. Countess Estelle Doheny made her contribution via the Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation. The late actress Jane Wyman also used her charitable foundation to support the monastery and placed the Our Lady Gives Rosary to St. Dominic statue. The Brunswick family and Joseph Scott, lawyer and public leader, were among the wealthy patrons of the monastery too.
The life of the nuns
30 nuns lived in the monastery permanently until 1950. Four of them dedicated all their time to prayer. Here are some interesting facts about the life of the nuns in the monastery:
- the nuns followed a pescatarian diet (a vegetarian diet that allows the consumption of fish and shellfish) from September 14 to Easter
- they slept on straw mattresses
- nuns baked communion wafers
- they took care of the garden and flower beds. Also, they served all the sick and needy.
Despite the fact that this is a closed community, a new campus of the monastery for nuns and believers has been built not far from the parking lot and a gift shop.
The home of the Dominican nuns community
The nuns devote their lives to the Holy Scriptures and prayer for those who come to them. The monastery has an interesting location against the background of the famous Hollywood sign.
The territory of the monastery takes about 1.6 hectares. The nuns often cook their own recipe of pumpkin bread, peanut brittle bread, chocolate with mint, etc. and sell them in the gift shop.
The Dominican nuns community is shrinking, which causes concern among the worshipers. It also should be noted that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has no jurisdiction over the monastery, so it cannot interfere in its management.
